|
Camp - During
their journeys across the wilderness, the twelve tribes formed
encampments at the different places where they halted (Ex. 16:13;
Num. 2:3). The diagram here given shows the position of the
different tribes and the form of the encampment during the
wanderings, according to Num. 1:53; 2:2-31; 3:29, 35, 38; 10:13-28.
The area of the camp would be in all about 3
square miles. After the Hebrews entered Palestine, the camps then
spoken of were exclusively warlike (Josh. 11:5, 7; Judg. 5:19, 21;
7:1; 1 Sam. 29:1; 30:9, etc.).
Camphire -
(Heb. copher), mentioned in Cant. 1:14 (R.V., "henna-flowers"); 4:13
(R.V., "henna"), is the al-henna of the Arabs, a native of Egypt,
producing clusters of small white and yellow odoriferous flowers,
whence is made the Oleum Cyprineum. From its leaves is made the
peculiar auburn dye with which Eastern women stain their nails and
the palms of their hands. It is found only at Engedi, on the shore
of the Dead Sea. It is known to botanists by the name Lawsonia alba
or inermis, a kind of privet, which grows 6 or 8 feet high. The
margin of the Authorized Version of the passages above referred to
has "or cypress," not with reference to the conifer so called, but
to the circumstance that one of the most highly appreciated species
of this plant grew in the island of Cyprus.
Cana - reedy, a
town of Galilee, near Capernaum. Here our Lord wrought his first
miracle, the turning of water into wine (John 2:1-11; 4:46). It is
also mentioned as the birth-place of Nathanael (21:2). It is not
mentioned in the Old Testament. It has been identified with the
modern Kana el-Jelil, also called Khurbet Kana, a place 8 or 9 miles
north of Nazareth. Others have identified it with Kefr Kenna, which
lies on the direct road to the Sea of Galilee, about 5 miles
north-east of Nazareth, and 12 in a direct course from Tiberias. It
is called "Cana of Galilee," to distinguish it from Cana of Asher
(Josh. 19:28).
Canaan - (1.)
The fourth son of Ham (Gen. 10:6). His descendants were under a
curse in consequence of the transgression of his father (9:22-27).
His eldest son, Zidon, was the father of the Sidonians and
Phoenicians. He had eleven sons, who were the founders of as many
tribes (10:15-18).
(2.) The country which derived its name from
the preceding. The name as first used by the Phoenicians denoted
only the maritime plain on which Sidon was built. But in the time of
Moses and Joshua it denoted the whole country to the west of the
Jordan and the Dead Sea (Deut. 11:30). In Josh. 5:12 the LXX. read,
"land of the Phoenicians," instead of "land of Canaan."
The name signifies "the lowlands," as
distinguished from the land of Gilead on the east of Jordan, which
was a mountainous district. The extent and boundaries of Canaan are
fully set forth in different parts of Scripture (Gen. 10:19; 17:8;
Num. 13:29; 34:8). (See CANAANITES ¯T0000705,
PALESTINE.)
Canaanite - a name
given to the apostle Simon (Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:18). The word here
does not, however, mean a descendant of Canaan, but is a
translation, or rather almost a transliteration, of the Syriac word
Kanenyeh (R.V. rendered "Cananaen"), which designates the Jewish
sect of the Zealots. Hence he is called elsewhere (Luke 6:15) "Simon
Zelotes;" i.e., Simon of the sect of the Zealots. (See
SIMON.)
Canaanites - the
descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. Migrating from their original
home, they seem to have reached the Persian Gulf, and to have there
sojourned for some time. They thence "spread to the west, across the
mountain chain of Lebanon to the very edge of the Mediterranean Sea,
occupying all the land which later became Palestine, also to the
north-west as far as the mountain chain of Taurus. This group was
very numerous, and broken up into a great many peoples, as we can
judge from the list of nations (Gen. 10), the 'sons of Canaan.'" Six
different tribes are mentioned in Ex. 3:8, 17; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11.
In Ex. 13:5 the "Perizzites" are omitted. The "Girgashites" are
mentioned in addition to the foregoing in Deut. 7:1; Josh. 3:10.
The "Canaanites," as distinguished from the
Amalekites, the Anakim, and the Rephaim, were "dwellers in the
lowlands" (Num. 13:29), the great plains and valleys, the richest
and most important parts of Palestine. Tyre and Sidon, their famous
cities, were the centres of great commercial activity; and hence the
name "Canaanite" came to signify a "trader" or "merchant" (Job 41:6;
Prov. 31:24, lit. "Canaanites;" comp. Zeph. 1:11; Ezek. 17:4). The
name "Canaanite" is also sometimes used to designate the
non-Israelite inhabitants of the land in general (Gen. 12:6; Num.
21:3; Judg. 1:10).
The Israelites, when they were led to the
Promised Land, were commanded utterly to destroy the descendants of
Canaan then possessing it (Ex. 23:23; Num. 33:52, 53; Deut. 20:16,
17). This was to be done "by little and little," lest the beasts of
the field should increase (Ex. 23:29; Deut. 7:22, 23). The history
of these wars of conquest is given in the Book of Joshua. The
extermination of these tribes, however, was never fully carried out.
Jerusalem was not taken till the time of David (2 Sam. 5:6, 7). In
the days of Solomon bond-service was exacted from the fragments of
the tribes still remaining in the land (1 Kings 9:20, 21). Even
after the return from captivity survivors of five of the Canaanitish
tribes were still found in the land.
In the Tell-el-Amarna tablets Canaan is found
under the forms of Kinakhna and Kinakhkhi. Under the name of Kanana
the Canaanites appear on Egyptian monuments, wearing a coat of mail
and helmet, and distinguished by the use of spear and javelin and
the battle-axe. They were called Phoenicians by the Greeks and Poeni
by the Romans. By race the Canaanites were Semitic. They were famous
as merchants and seamen, as well as for their artistic skill. The
chief object of their worship was the sun-god, who was addressed by
the general name of Baal, "lord." Each locality had its special
Baal, and the various local Baals were summed up under the name of
Baalim, "lords."
Canaan, the
language of - mentioned in Isa. 19:18, denotes the language
spoken by the Jews resident in Palestine. The language of the
Canaanites and of the Hebrews was substantially the same. This is
seen from the fragments of the Phoenician language which still
survive, which show the closest analogy to the Hebrew. Yet the
subject of the language of the "Canaanites" is very obscure. The
cuneiform writing of Babylon, as well as the Babylonian language,
was taught in the Canaanitish schools, and the clay tablets of
Babylonian literature were stored in the Canaanitish libraries. Even
the Babylonian divinities were borrowed by the Canaanites.
Candace - the
queen of the Ethiopians whose "eunuch" or chamberlain was converted
to Christianity by the instrumentality of Philip the evangelist
(Acts 8:27). The country which she ruled was called by the Greeks
Meroe, in Upper Nubia. It was long the centre of commercial
intercourse between Africa and the south of Asia, and hence became
famous for its wealth (Isa. 45:14).
It is somewhat singular that female
sovereignty seems to have prevailed in Ethiopia, the name Candace
(compare "Pharaoh," "Ptolemy," "Caesar") being a title common to
several successive queens. It is probable that Judaism had taken
root in Ethiopia at this time, and hence the visit of the queen's
treasurer to Jerusalem to keep the feast. There is a tradition that
Candace was herself converted to Christianity by her treasurer on
his return, and that he became the apostle of Christianity in that
whole region, carrying it also into Abyssinia. It is said that he
also preached the gospel in Arabia Felix and in Ceylon, where he
suffered martyrdom. (See
PHILIP.)
Candle - Heb. ner,
Job 18:6; 29:3; Ps. 18:28; Prov. 24:20, in all which places the
Revised Version and margin of Authorized Version have "lamp," by
which the word is elsewhere frequently rendered. The Hebrew word
denotes properly any kind of candle or lamp or torch. It is used as
a figure of conscience (Prov. 20:27), of a Christian example (Matt.
5:14, 15), and of prosperity (Job 21:17; Prov. 13:9).
Candlestick -
the lamp-stand, "candelabrum," which Moses was commanded to make for
the tabernacle, according to the pattern shown him. Its form is
described in Ex. 25:31-40; 37:17-24, and may be seen represented on
the Arch of Titus at Rome. It was among the spoils taken by the
Romans from the temple of Jerusalem (A.D. 70). It was made of fine
gold, and with the utensils belonging to it was a talent in weight.
The tabernacle was a tent without windows,
and thus artificial light was needed. This was supplied by the
candlestick, which, however, served also as a symbol of the church
or people of God, who are "the light of the world." The light which
"symbolizes the knowledge of God is not the sun or any natural
light, but an artificial light supplied with a specially prepared
oil; for the knowledge of God is in truth not natural nor common to
all men, but furnished over and above nature."
This candlestick was placed on the south side
of the Holy Place, opposite the table of shewbread (Ex. 27:21; 30:7,
8; Lev. 24:3; 1 Sam. 3:3). It was lighted every evening, and was
extinguished in the morning. In the morning the priests trimmed the
seven lamps, borne by the seven branches, with golden snuffers,
carrying away the ashes in golden dishes (Ex. 25:38), and supplying
the lamps at the same time with fresh oil. What ultimately became of
the candlestick is unknown.
In Solomon's temple there were ten separate
candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right and five on the left of
the Holy Place (1 Kings 7:49; 2 Chr. 4:7). Their structure is not
mentioned. They were carried away to Babylon (Jer. 52:19).
In the temple erected after the Exile there
was again but one candlestick, and like the first, with seven
branches. It was this which was afterwards carried away by Titus to
Rome, where it was deposited in the Temple of Peace. When Genseric
plundered Rome, he is said to have carried it to Carthage (A.D.
455). It was recaptured by Belisarius (A.D. 533), and carried to
Constantinople and thence to Jerusalem, where it finally
disappeared.
Cane - a tall
sedgy plant with a hollow stem, growing in moist places. In Isa.
43:24; Jer. 6:20, the Hebrew word kaneh is thus rendered,
giving its name to the plant. It is rendered "reed" in 1 Kings
14:15; Job 40:21; Isa. 19:6; 35:7. In Ps. 68:30 the expression
"company of spearmen" is in the margin and the Revised Version
"beasts of the reeds," referring probably to the crocodile or the
hippopotamus as a symbol of Egypt. In 2 Kings 18:21; Isa. 36:6;
Ezek. 29:6, 7, the reference is to the weak, fragile nature of the
reed. (See
CALAMUS.)
Canker - a gangrene
or mortification which gradually spreads over the whole body (2 Tim.
2:17). In James 5:3 "cankered" means "rusted" (R.V.) or tarnished.
Cankerworm -
(Heb. yelek), "the licking locust," which licks up the grass of the
field; probably the locust at a certain stage of its growth, just as
it emerges from the caterpillar state (Joel 1:4; 2:25). The word is
rendered "caterpillar" in Ps. 105:34; Jer. 51:14, 17 (but R.V.
"canker-worm"). "It spoileth and fleeth away" (Nah. 3:16), or as
some read the passage, "The cankerworm putteth off [i.e., the
envelope of its wings], and fleeth away."
Canneh -
Mentioned only in Ezek. 27:23. (See
CALNEH.)
Canon - This word
is derived from a Hebrew and Greek word denoting a reed or cane.
Hence it means something straight, or something to keep straight;
and hence also a rule, or something ruled or measured. It came to be
applied to the Scriptures, to denote that they contained the
authoritative rule of faith and practice, the standard of doctrine
and duty. A book is said to be of canonical authority when it has a
right to take a place with the other books which contain a
revelation of the Divine will. Such a right does not arise from any
ecclesiastical authority, but from the evidence of the inspired
authorship of the book. The canonical (i.e., the inspired) books of
the Old and New Testaments, are a complete rule, and the only rule,
of faith and practice. They contain the whole supernatural
revelation of God to men. The New Testament Canon was formed
gradually under divine guidance. The different books as they were
written came into the possession of the Christian associations which
began to be formed soon after the day of Pentecost; and thus slowly
the canon increased till all the books were gathered together into
one collection containing the whole of the twenty-seven New
Testament inspired books. Historical evidence shows that from about
the middle of the second century this New Testament collection was
substantially such as we now possess. Each book contained in it is
proved to have, on its own ground, a right to its place; and thus
the whole is of divine authority.
The Old Testament Canon is witnessed to by
the New Testament writers. Their evidence is conclusive. The
quotations in the New from the Old are very numerous, and the
references are much more numerous. These quotations and references
by our Lord and the apostles most clearly imply the existence at
that time of a well-known and publicly acknowledged collection of
Hebrew writings under the designation of "The Scriptures;" "The Law
and the Prophets and the Psalms;" "Moses and the Prophets," etc. The
appeals to these books, moreover, show that they were regarded as of
divine authority, finally deciding all questions of which they
treat; and that the whole collection so recognized consisted only of
the thirty-nine books which we now posses. Thus they endorse as
genuine and authentic the canon of the Jewish Scriptures. The
Septuagint Version (q.v.) also contained every book we now have in
the Old Testament Scriptures. As to the time at which the Old
Testament canon was closed, there are many considerations which
point to that of Ezra and Nehemiah, immediately after the return
from Babylonian exile. (See BIBLE ¯T0000580, EZRA ¯T0001294,
QUOTATIONS.)
Capernaum - Nahum's
town, a Galilean city frequently mentioned in the history of our
Lord. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament. After our Lord's
expulsion from Nazareth (Matt. 4:13-16; Luke 4:16-31), Capernaum
became his "own city." It was the scene of many acts and incidents
of his life (Matt. 8:5, 14, 15; 9:2-6, 10-17; 15:1-20; Mark 1:32-34,
etc.). The impenitence and unbelief of its inhabitants after the
many evidences our Lord gave among them of the truth of his mission,
brought down upon them a heavy denunciation of judgement (Matt.
11:23).
It stood on the western shore of the Sea of
Galilee. The "land of Gennesaret," near, if not in, which it was
situated, was one of the most prosperous and crowded districts of
Palestine. This city lay on the great highway from Damascus to Acco
and Tyre. It has been identified with Tell Hum, about two miles
south-west of where the Jordan flows into the lake. Here are
extensive ruins of walls and foundations, and also the remains of
what must have been a beautiful synagogue, which it is conjectured
may have been the one built by the centurion (Luke 7:5), in which
our Lord frequently taught (John 6:59; Mark 1:21; Luke 4:33). Others
have conjectured that the ruins of the city are to be found at Khan
Minyeh, some three miles further to the south on the shore of the
lake. "If Tell Hum be Capernaum, the remains spoken of are without
doubt the ruins of the synagogue built by the Roman centurion, and
one of the most sacred places on earth. It was in this building that
our Lord gave the well-known discourse in John 6; and it was not
without a certain strange feeling that on turning over a large block
we found the pot of manna engraved on its face, and remembered the
words, 'I am that bread of life: your fathers did eat manna in the
wilderness, and are dead.'", (The Recovery of Jerusalem.)
Caphtor - a
chaplet, the original seat of the Philistines (Deut. 2:23; Jer.
47:4; Amos 9:7). The name is found written in hieroglyphics in the
temple of Kom Ombos in Upper Egypt. But the exact situation of
Caphtor is unknown, though it is supposed to be Crete, since the
Philistines seem to be meant by the "Cherethites" in 1 Sam. 30:14
(see also 2 Sam. 8:18). It may, however, have been a part of Egypt,
the Caphtur in the north Delta, since the Caphtorim were of the same
race as the Mizraite people (Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12).
Cappadocia -
the easternmost and the largest province of Asia Minor. Christianity
very early penetrated into this country (1 Pet. 1:1). On the day of
Pentecost there were Cappadocians at Jerusalem (Acts 2:9).
Captain - (1.)
Heb. sar (1 Sam. 22:2; 2 Sam. 23:19). Rendered "chief," Gen. 40:2;
41:9; rendered also "prince," Dan. 1:7; "ruler," Judg. 9:30;
"governor,' 1 Kings 22:26. This same Hebrew word denotes a military
captain (Ex. 18:21; 2 Kings 1:9; Deut. 1:15; 1 Sam. 18:13, etc.),
the "captain of the body-guard" (Gen. 37:36; 39:1; 41:10; Jer.
40:1), or, as the word may be rendered, "chief of the executioners"
(marg.). The officers of the king's body-guard frequently acted as
executioners. Nebuzar-adan (Jer. 39:13) and Arioch (Dan. 2:14) held
this office in Babylon.
The "captain of the guard" mentioned in Acts
28:16 was the Praetorian prefect, the commander of the Praetorian
troops.
(2.) Another word (Heb. katsin) so translated
denotes sometimes a military (Josh. 10:24; Judg. 11:6, 11; Isa. 22:3
"rulers;" Dan. 11:18) and sometimes a civil command, a judge,
magistrate, Arab. kady, (Isa. 1:10; 3:6; Micah 3:1, 9).
(3.) It is also the rendering of a Hebrew
word (shalish) meaning "a third man," or "one of three." The LXX.
render in plural by tristatai; i.e., "soldiers fighting from
chariots," so called because each war-chariot contained three men,
one of whom acted as charioteer while the other two fought (Ex.
14:7; 15:4; 1 Kings 9:22; comp. 2 Kings 9:25). This word is used
also to denote the king's body-guard (2 Kings 10:25; 1 Chr. 12:18; 2
Chr. 11:11) or aides-de-camp.
(4.) The "captain of the temple" mentioned in
Acts 4:1 and 5:24 was not a military officer, but superintendent of
the guard of priests and Levites who kept watch in the temple by
night. (Comp. "the ruler of the house of God," 1 Chr. 9:11; 2 Chr.
31:13; Neh. 11:11.)
(5.) The Captain of our salvation is a name
given to our Lord (Heb. 2:10), because he is the author and source
of our salvation, the head of his people, whom he is conducting to
glory. The "captain of the Lord's host" (Josh. 5:14, 15) is the name
given to that mysterious person who manifested himself to Abraham
(Gen. 12:7), and to Moses in the bush (Ex. 3:2, 6, etc.) the Angel
of the covenant. (See
ANGEL.)
Captive - one taken
in war. Captives were often treated with great cruelty and indignity
(1 Kings 20:32; Josh. 10:24; Judg. 1:7; 2 Sam. 4:12; Judg. 8:7; 2
Sam. 12:31; 1 Chr. 20:3). When a city was taken by assault, all the
men were slain, and the women and children carried away captive and
sold as slaves (Isa. 20; 47:3; 2 Chr. 28:9-15; Ps. 44:12; Joel 3:3),
and exposed to the most cruel treatment (Nah. 3:10; Zech. 14:2;
Esther 3:13; 2 Kings 8:12; Isa. 13:16, 18). Captives were sometimes
carried away into foreign countries, as was the case with the Jews (Jer.
20:5; 39:9, 10; 40:7).
Captivity -
(1.) Of Israel. The kingdom of the ten tribes was successively
invaded by several Assyrian kings. Pul (q.v.) imposed a tribute on
Menahem of a thousand talents of silver (2 Kings 15:19, 20; 1 Chr.
5:26) (B.C. 762), and Tiglath-pileser, in the days of Pekah (B.C.
738), carried away the trans-Jordanic tribes and the inhabitants of
Galilee into Assyria (2 Kings 15:29; Isa. 9:1). Subsequently
Shalmaneser invaded Israel and laid siege to Samaria, the capital of
the kingdom. During the siege he died, and was succeeded by Sargon,
who took the city, and transported the great mass of the people into
Assyria (B.C. 721), placing them in Halah and in Habor, and in the
cities of the Medes (2 Kings 17:3, 5). Samaria was never again
inhabited by the Israelites. The families thus removed were carried
to distant cities, many of them not far from the Caspian Sea, and
their place was supplied by colonists from Babylon and Cuthah, etc.
(2 Kings 17:24). Thus terminated the kingdom of the ten tribes,
after a separate duration of two hundred and fifty-five years (B.C.
975-721).
Many speculations have been indulged in with
reference to these ten tribes. But we believe that all, except the
number that probably allied themselves with Judah and shared in
their restoration under Cyrus, are finally lost.
"Like the dew on the mountain, Like the foam
on the river, Like the bubble on the fountain, They are gone, and
for ever."
(2.) Of Judah. In the third year of
Jehoiachim, the eighteenth king of Judah (B.C. 605), Nebuchadnezzar
having overcome the Egyptians at Carchemish, advanced to Jerusalem
with a great army. After a brief siege he took that city, and
carried away the vessels of the sanctuary to Babylon, and dedicated
them in the Temple of Belus (2 Kings 24:1; 2 Chr. 36:6, 7; Dan. 1:1,
2). He also carried away the treasures of the king, whom he made his
vassal. At this time, from which is dated the "seventy years" of
captivity (Jer. 25; Dan. 9:1, 2), Daniel and his companions were
carried to Babylon, there to be brought up at the court and trained
in all the learning of the Chaldeans. After this, in the fifth year
of Jehoiakim, a great national fast was appointed (Jer. 36:9),
during which the king, to show his defiance, cut up the leaves of
the book of Jeremiah's prophecies as they were read to him in his
winter palace, and threw them into the fire. In the same spirit he
rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:1), who again a second
time (B.C. 598) marched against Jerusalem, and put Jehoiachim to
death, placing his son Jehoiachin on the throne in his stead. But
Jehoiachin's counsellors displeasing Nebuchadnezzar, he again a
third time turned his army against Jerusalem, and carried away to
Babylon a second detachment of Jews as captives, to the number of
10,000 (2 Kings 24:13; Jer. 24:1; 2 Chr. 36:10), among whom were the
king, with his mother and all his princes and officers, also
Ezekiel, who with many of his companions were settled on the banks
of the river Chebar (q.v.). He also carried away all the remaining
treasures of the temple and the palace, and the golden vessels of
the sanctuary.
Mattaniah, the uncle of Jehoiachin, was now
made king over what remained of the kingdom of Judah, under the name
of Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17; 2 Chr. 36:10). After a troubled reign of
eleven years his kingdom came to an end (2 Chr. 36:11).
Nebuchadnezzar, with a powerful army, besieged Jerusalem, and
Zedekiah became a prisoner in Babylon. His eyes were put out, and he
was kept in close confinement till his death (2 Kings 25:7). The
city was spoiled of all that was of value, and then given up to the
flames. The temple and palaces were consumed, and the walls of the
city were levelled with the ground (B.C. 586), and all that remained
of the people, except a number of the poorest class who were left to
till the ground and dress the vineyards, were carried away captives
to Babylon. This was the third and last deportation of Jewish
captives. The land was now utterly desolate, and was abondoned to
anarchy.
In the first year of his reign as king of
Babylon (B.C. 536), Cyrus issued a decree liberating the Jewish
captives, and permitting them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the
city and the temple (2 Chr. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1; 2). The number of the
people forming the first caravan, under Zerubbabel, amounted in all
to 42,360 (Ezra 2:64, 65), besides 7,337 men-servants and
maid-servants. A considerable number, 12,000 probably, from the ten
tribes who had been carried away into Assyria no doubt combined with
this band of liberated captives.
At a later period other bands of the Jews
returned (1) under Ezra (7:7) (B.C. 458), and (2) Nehemiah (7:66)
(B.C. 445). But the great mass of the people remained still in the
land to which they had been carried, and became a portion of the
Jews of the "dispersion" (John 7:35; 1 Pet. 1:1). The whole number
of the exiles that chose to remain was probably about six times the
number of those who returned.
Carbuncle -
(Ex. 28:17; 39:10; Ezek. 28:13). Heb. barkath; LXX. smaragdos;
Vulgate, smaragdus; Revised Version, marg., "emerald." The Hebrew
word is from a root meaning "to glitter," "lighten," "flash." When
held up to the sun, this gem shines like a burning coal, a dark-red
glowing coal, and hence is called "carbunculus", i.e., a little
coal. It was one of the jewels in the first row of the high priest's
breastplate. It has been conjectured by some that the garnet is
meant. In Isa. 54:12 the Hebrew word is 'ekdah, used in the
prophetic description of the glory and beauty of the mansions above.
Next to the diamond it is the hardest and most costly of all
precious stones.
Carcase -
contact with a, made an Israelite ceremonially unclean, and made
whatever he touched also unclean, according to the Mosaic law (Hag.
2:13; comp. Num. 19:16, 22; Lev. 11:39).
Carchemish -
fortress of Chemosh, a city on the west bank of the Euphrates (Jer.
46:2; 2 Chr. 35:20), not, as was once supposed, the Circesium at the
confluence of the Chebar and the Euphrates, but a city considerably
higher up the river, and commanding the ordinary passage of the
Euphrates; probably identical with Hierapolis. It was the capital of
the kingdom of the northern Hittites. The Babylonian army, under
Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar, here met and conquered the
army of Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt (B.C. 607). It is mentioned in
monuments in B.C. 1600 and down to B.C. 717.
Carmel - a
park; generally with the article, "the park." (1.) A prominent
headland of Central Palestine, consisting of several connected hills
extending from the plain of Esdraelon to the sea, a distance of some
12 miles or more. At the east end, in its highest part, it is 1,728
feet high, and at the west end it forms a promontory to the bay of
Acre about 600 feet above the sea. It lay within the tribe of Asher.
It was here, at the east end of the ridge, at a place called el-Mukhrakah
(i.e., the place of burning), that Elijah brought back the people to
their allegiance to God, and slew the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).
Here were consumed the "fifties" of the royal guard; and here also
Elisha received the visit of the bereaved mother whose son was
restored by him to life (2 Kings 4:25-37). "No mountain in or around
Palestine retains its ancient beauty so much as Carmel. Two or three
villages and some scattered cottages are found on it; its groves are
few but luxuriant; it is no place for crags and precipices or rocks
of wild goats; but its surface is covered with a rich and constant
verdure." "The whole mountain-side is dressed with blossom, and
flowering shrubs, and fragrant herbs." The western extremity of the
ridge is, however, more rocky and bleak than the eastern. The head
of the bride in Cant. 7:5 is compared to Carmel. It is ranked with
Bashan on account of its rich pastures (Isa. 33:9; Jer. 50:19; Amos
1:2). The whole ridge is deeply furrowed with rocky ravines filled
with dense jungle. There are many caves in its sides, which at one
time were inhabited by swarms of monks. These caves are referred to
in Amos 9:3. To them Elijah and Elisha often resorted (1 Kings
18:19, 42; 2 Kings 2:25). On its north-west summit there is an
ancient establishment of Carmelite monks. Vineyards have recently
been planted on the mount by the German colonists of Haifa. The
modern Arabic name of the mount is Kurmul, but more commonly Jebel
Mar Elyas, i.e., Mount St. Elias, from the Convent of Elias.
(2.) A town in the hill country of Judah
(Josh. 15:55), the residence of Nabal (1 Sam. 25:2, 5, 7, 40), and
the native place of Abigail, who became David's wife (1 Sam. 27:3).
Here king Uzziah had his vineyards (2 Chr. 26:10). The ruins of this
town still remain under the name of Kurmul, about 10 miles
south-south-east of Hebron, close to those of Maon.
Carmi -
vine-dresser. (1.) The last named of the four sons of Reuben (Gen.
46:9).
(2.) A descendant of Judah (1 Chr. 4:1). He
is elsewhere (2:18) called Caleb (q.v.).
(3.) The son of Zimri, and the father of
Achan (Josh. 7:1), "the troubler of Israel."
Carnal -
Unconverted men are so called (1 Cor. 3:3). They are represented as
of a "carnal mind, which is enmity against God" (Rom. 8:6, 7).
Enjoyments that minister to the wants and desires of man's animal
nature are so called (Rom. 15:27; 1 Cor. 9:11). The ceremonial of
the Mosaic law is spoken of as "carnal," because it related to
things outward, the bodies of men and of animals, and the
purification of the flesh (Heb. 7:16; 9:10). The weapons of
Christian warfare are "not carnal", that is, they are not of man's
device, nor are wielded by human power (2 Cor. 10:4).
Carpenter - an
artificer in stone, iron, and copper, as well as in wood (2 Sam.
5:11; 1 Chr. 14:1; Mark 6:3). The tools used by carpenters are
mentioned in 1 Sam. 13:19, 20; Judg. 4:21; Isa. 10:15; 44:13. It was
said of our Lord, "Is not this the carpenter's son?" (Matt. 13:55);
also, "Is not this the carpenter?" (Mark 6:3). Every Jew, even the
rabbis, learned some handicraft: Paul was a tentmaker. "In the
cities the carpenters would be Greeks, and skilled workmen; the
carpenter of a provincial village could only have held a very humble
position, and secured a very moderate competence."
Carriage - In
the Authorized Version this word is found as the rendering of many
different words. In Judg. 18:21 it means valuables, wealth, or
booty. In Isa. 46:1 (R.V., "the things that ye carried about") the
word means a load for a beast of burden. In 1 Sam. 17:22 and Isa.
10:28 it is the rendering of a word ("stuff" in 1 Sam. 10:22)
meaning implements, equipments, baggage. The phrase in Acts 21:15,
"We took up our carriages," means properly, "We packed up our
baggage," as in the Revised Version.
Cart - a
vehicle moving on wheels, and usually drawn by oxen (2 Sam. 6:3).
The Hebrew word thus rendered, 'agalah (1 Sam. 6:7, 8), is
also rendered "wagon" (Gen. 45:19). It is used also to denote a
war-chariot (Ps. 46:9). Carts were used for the removal of the ark
and its sacred utensils (Num. 7:3, 6). After retaining the ark
amongst them for seven months, the Philistines sent it back to the
Israelites. On this occasion they set it in a new cart, probably a
rude construction, with solid wooden wheels like that still used in
Western Asia, which was drawn by two milch cows, which conveyed it
straight to Beth-shemesh.
A "cart rope," for the purpose of fastening
loads on carts, is used (Isa. 5:18) as a symbol of the power of
sinful pleasures or habits over him who indulges them. (See
CORD.) In Syria and Palestine wheel-carriages for any other
purpose than the conveyance of agricultural produce are almost
unknown.
Carve - The arts of
engraving and carving were much practised among the Jews. They were
practised in connection with the construction of the tabernacle and
the temple (Ex. 31:2, 5; 35:33; 1 Kings 6:18, 35; Ps. 74:6), as well
as in the ornamentation of the priestly dresses (Ex. 28:9-36; Zech.
3:9; 2 Chr. 2:7, 14). Isaiah (44:13-17) gives a minute description
of the process of carving idols of wood.
Casement - a
barrier of open-work placed before windows (Prov. 7:6). In Judg.
5:28 the Hebrew word is rendered "lattice," in the LXX. "network,"
an opening through which cool air is admitted.
Casiphia -
silver, a place between Babylon and Jerusalem, where Iddo resided
(Ezra 8:17); otherwise unknown.
Casluhim -
fortified, a people descended from Mizraim (Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr.
1:12). Their original seat was probably somewhere in Lower Egypt,
along the sea-coast to the south border of Palestine.
Cassia - (1.)
Hebrew kiddah', i.e., "split." One of the principal spices of
the holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:24), and an article of commerce
(Ezek. 27:19). It is the inner bark of a tree resembling the
cinnamon (q.v.), the Cinnamomum cassia of botanists, and was
probably imported from India.
(2.) Hebrew pl. ketzi'oth (Ps. 45:8).
Mentioned in connection with myrrh and aloes as being used to scent
garments. It was probably prepared from the peeled bark, as the
Hebrew word suggests, of some kind of cinnamon.
Castaway - Gr.
adokimos, (1 Cor. 9:27), one regarded as unworthy (R.V.,
"rejected"); elsewhere rendered "reprobate" (2 Tim. 3:8, etc.);
"rejected" (Heb. 6:8, etc.).
Castle - a
military fortress (1 Chr. 11:7), also probably a kind of tower used
by the priests for making known anything discovered at a distance (1
Chr. 6:54). Castles are also mentioned (Gen. 25:16) as a kind of
watch-tower, from which shepherds kept watch over their flocks by
night. The "castle" into which the chief captain commanded Paul to
be brought was the quarters of the Roman soldiers in the fortress of
Antonia (so called by Herod after his patron Mark Antony), which was
close to the north-west corner of the temple (Acts 21:34), which it
commanded.
Castor and Pollux -
the "Dioscuri", two heroes of Greek and Roman mythology. Their
figures were probably painted or sculptured on the prow of the ship
which Luke refers to (Acts 28:11). They were regarded as the
tutelary divinities of sailors. They appeared in the heavens as the
constellation Gemini.
Caterpillar -
the consumer. Used in the Old Testament (1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chr. 6:28;
Ps. 78:46; Isa. 33:4) as the translation of a word (hasil) the root
of which means "to devour" or "consume," and which is used also with
reference to the locust in Deut. 28:38. It may have been a species
of locust, or the name of one of the transformations through which
the locust passes, locust-grub. It is also found (Ps. 105:34; Jer.
51:14, 27; R.V., "cankerworm") as the rendering of a different
Hebrew word, yelek, a word elsewhere rendered "cankerworm"
(q.v.), Joel 1:4; 2:25. (See
LOCUST.)
Catholic epistles -
the epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; so called because they
are addressed to Christians in general, and not to any church or
person in particular.
Cattle -
abounded in the Holy Land. To the rearing and management of them the
inhabitants chiefly devoted themselves (Deut. 8:13; 12:21; 1 Sam.
11:5; 12:3; Ps. 144:14; Jer. 3:24). They may be classified as,
(1.) Neat cattle. Many hundreds of these were
yearly consumed in sacrifices or used for food. The finest herds
were found in Bashan, beyond Jordan (Num. 32:4). Large herds also
pastured on the wide fertile plains of Sharon. They were yoked to
the plough (1 Kings 19:19), and were employed for carrying burdens
(1 Chr. 12:40). They were driven with a pointed rod (Judg. 3:31) or
goad (q.v.).
According to the Mosaic law, the mouths of
cattle employed for the threshing-floor were not to be muzzled, so
as to prevent them from eating of the provender over which they
trampled (Deut. 25:4). Whosoever stole and sold or slaughtered an ox
must give five in satisfaction (Ex. 22:1); but if it was found alive
in the possession of him who stole it, he was required to make
double restitution only (22:4). If an ox went astray, whoever found
it was required to bring it back to its owner (23:4; Deut. 22:1, 4).
An ox and an ass could not be yoked together in the plough (Deut.
22:10).
(2.) Small cattle. Next to herds of neat
cattle, sheep formed the most important of the possessions of the
inhabitants of Palestine (Gen. 12:16; 13:5; 26:14; 21:27; 29:2, 3).
They are frequently mentioned among the booty taken in war (Num.
31:32; Josh. 6:21; 1 Sam. 14:32; 15:3). There were many who were
owners of large flocks (1 Sam. 25:2; 2 Sam. 12:2, comp. Job 1:3).
Kings also had shepherds "over their flocks" (1 Chr. 27:31), from
which they derived a large portion of their revenue (2 Sam. 17:29; 1
Chr. 12:40). The districts most famous for their flocks of sheep
were the plain of Sharon (Isa. 65: 10), Mount Carmel (Micah 7:14),
Bashan and Gilead (Micah 7:14). In patriarchal times the flocks of
sheep were sometimes tended by the daughters of the owners. Thus
Rachel, the daughter of Laban, kept her father's sheep (Gen. 29:9);
as also Zipporah and her six sisters had charge of their father
Jethro's flocks (Ex. 2:16). Sometimes they were kept by hired
shepherds (John 10:12), and sometimes by the sons of the family (1
Sam. 16:11; 17:15). The keepers so familiarized their sheep with
their voices that they knew them, and followed them at their call.
Sheep, but more especially rams and lambs, were frequently offered
in sacrifice. The shearing of sheep was a great festive occasion (1
Sam. 25:4; 2 Sam. 13:23). They were folded at night, and guarded by
their keepers against the attacks of the lion (Micah 5:8), the bear
(1 Sam. 17:34), and the wolf (Matt. 10:16; John 10:12). They were
liable to wander over the wide pastures and go astray (Ps. 119:176;
Isa. 53:6; Hos. 4:16; Matt. 18:12).
Goats also formed a part of the pastoral
wealth of Palestine (Gen. 15:9; 32:14; 37:31). They were used both
for sacrifice and for food (Deut. 14:4), especially the young males
(Gen. 27:9, 14, 17; Judg. 6:19; 13:15; 1 Sam. 16:20). Goat's hair
was used for making tent cloth (Ex. 26:7; 36:14), and for mattresses
and bedding (1 Sam. 19:13, 16). (See
GOAT.)
Return
To Dictionary
Caul - (Heb.
yothe'reth; i.e., "something redundant"), the membrane which covers
the upper part of the liver (Ex. 29:13, 22; Lev. 3:4, 10, 15; 4:9;
7:4; marg., "midriff"). In Hos. 13:8 (Heb. seghor; i.e., "an
enclosure") the pericardium, or parts about the heart, is meant.
Cauls - In Isa.
3:18 this word (Heb. shebisim), in the marg. "networks," denotes
network caps to contain the hair, worn by females. Others explain it
as meaning "wreaths worn round the forehead, reaching from one ear
to the other."
Causeway - a
raised way, an ascent by steps, or a raised slope between Zion and
the temple (1 Chr. 26:16, 18). In 2 Chr. 9:11 the same word is
translated "terrace."
Cave - There
are numerous natural caves among the limestone rocks of Syria, many
of which have been artificially enlarged for various purposes.
The first notice of a cave occurs in the
history of Lot (Gen. 19:30).
The next we read of is the cave of Machpelah
(q.v.), which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth (Gen. 25:9,
10). It was the burying-place of Sarah and of Abraham himself, also
of Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob (Gen. 49:31; 50:13).
The cave of Makkedah, into which the five
Amorite kings retired after their defeat by Joshua (10:16, 27).
The cave of Adullam (q.v.), an immense
natural cavern, where David hid himself from Saul (1 Sam. 22:1, 2).
The cave of Engedi (q.v.), now called 'Ain
Jidy, i.e., the "Fountain of the Kid", where David cut off the skirt
of Saul's robe (24:4). Here he also found a shelter for himself and
his followers to the number of 600 (23:29; 24:1). "On all sides the
country is full of caverns which might serve as lurking-places for
David and his men, as they do for outlaws at the present day."
The cave in which Obadiah hid the prophets (1
Kings 18:4) was probably in the north, but it cannot be identified.
The cave of Elijah (1 Kings 19:9), and the
"cleft" of Moses on Horeb (Ex. 33:22), cannot be determined.
In the time of Gideon the Israelites took
refuge from the Midianites in dens and caves, such as abounded in
the mountain regions of Manasseh (Judg. 6:2).
Caves were frequently used as dwelling-places
(Num. 24:21; Cant. 2:14; Jer. 49:16; Obad. 1:3). "The excavations at
Deir Dubban, on the south side of the wady leading to Santa Hanneh,
are probably the dwellings of the Horites," the ancient inhabitants
of Idumea Proper. The pits or cavities in rocks were also sometimes
used as prisons (Isa. 24:22; 51:14; Zech. 9:11). Those which had
niches in their sides were occupied as burying-places (Ezek. 32:23;
John 11:38).
Cedar - (Heb.
e'rez, Gr. kedros, Lat. cedrus), a tree very frequently mentioned in
Scripture. It was stately (Ezek. 31:3-5), long-branched (Ps. 80:10;
92:12; Ezek. 31:6-9), odoriferous (Cant. 4:11; Hos. 14:6), durable,
and therefore much used for boards, pillars, and ceilings (1 Kings
6:9, 10; 7:2; Jer. 22:14), for masts (Ezek. 27:5), and for carved
images (Isa. 44:14).
It grew very abundantly in Palestine, and
particularly on Lebanon, of which it was "the glory" (Isa. 35:2;
60:13). Hiram supplied Solomon with cedar trees from Lebanon for
various purposes connected with the construction of the temple and
the king's palace (2 Sam. 5:11; 7:2, 7; 1 Kings 5:6, 8,10; 6:9, 10,
15, 16, 18, 20; 7:2, 3, 7, 11, 12; 9:11, etc.). Cedars were used
also in the building of the second temple under Zerubbabel (Ezra
3:7).
Of the ancient cedars of Lebanon there remain
now only some seven or eight. They are not standing together. But
beside them there are found between three hundred and four hundred
of younger growth. They stand in an amphitheatre fronting the west,
about 6,400 feet above the level of the sea.
The cedar is often figuratively alluded to in
the sacred Scriptures. "The mighty conquerors of olden days, the
despots of Assyria and the Pharaohs of Egypt, the proud and
idolatrous monarchs of Judah, the Hebrew commonwealth itself, the
war-like Ammonites of patriarchal times, and the moral majesty of
the Messianic age, are all compared to the towering cedar, in its
royal loftiness and supremacy (Isa. 2:13; Ezek. 17:3, 22, 23,
31:3-9; Amos 2:9; Zech. 11:1, 2; Job 40:17; Ps. 29:5; 80:10; 92:12,
etc).", Groser's Scrip. Nat. Hist. (See BOX-TREE ¯T0000636.)
Cedron - the
black torrent, the brook flowing through the ravine below the
eastern wall of Jerusalem (John 18:1). (See
KIDRON.)
Ceiling - the
covering (1 Kings 7:3,7) of the inside roof and walls of a house
with planks of wood (2 Chr. 3:5; Jer. 22:14). Ceilings were
sometimes adorned with various ornaments in stucco, gold, silver,
gems, and ivory. The ceilings of the temple and of Solomon's palace
are described 1 Kings 6:9, 15; 7:3; 2 Chr. 3:5,9.
Cellar - a
subterranean vault (1 Chr. 27:28), a storehouse. The word is also
used to denote the treasury of the temple (1 Kings 7:51) and of the
king (14:26). The Hebrew word is rendered "garner" in Joel 1:17, and
"armoury" in Jer. 50:25.
Cenchrea -
millet, the eastern harbour of Corinth, from which it was distant
about 9 miles east, and the outlet for its trade with the Asiatic
shores of the Mediterranean. When Paul returned from his second
missionary journey to Syria, he sailed from this port (Acts 18:18).
In Rom. 16:1 he speaks as if there were at the time of his writing
that epistle an organized church there. The western harbour of
Corinth was Lechaeum, about a mile and a half from the city. It was
the channel of its trade with Italy and the west.
Censer - the
vessel in which incense was presented on "the golden altar" before
the Lord in the temple (Ex. 30:1-9). The priest filled the censer
with live coal from the sacred fire on the altar of burnt-offering,
and having carried it into the sanctuary, there threw upon the
burning coals the sweet incense (Lev. 16:12, 13), which sent up a
cloud of smoke, filling the apartment with fragrance. The censers in
daily use were of brass (Num. 16:39), and were designated by a
different Hebrew name, miktereth (2 Chr. 26:19; Ezek. 8:11):
while those used on the day of Atonement were of gold, and were
denoted by a word (mahtah) meaning "something to take fire with;"
LXX. pureion = a fire-pan. Solomon prepared for the temple censers
of pure gold (1 Kings 7:50; 2 Chr. 4:22). The angel in the
Apocalypse is represented with a golden censer (Rev. 8:3, 5). Paul
speaks of the golden censer as belonging to the tabernacle (Heb.
9:4). The Greek word thumiaterion, here rendered "censer," may more
appropriately denote, as in the margin of Revised Version, "the
altar of incense." Paul does not here say that the thumiaterion was
in the holiest, for it was in the holy place, but that the holiest
had it, i.e., that it belonged to the holiest (1 Kings 6:22). It was
intimately connected with the high priest's service in the holiest.
The manner in which the censer is to be used
is described in Num. 4:14; Lev. 16:12.
Census - There
are five instances of a census of the Jewish people having been
taken. (1.) In the fourth month after the Exodus, when the people
were encamped at Sinai. The number of men from twenty years old and
upward was then 603,550 (Ex. 38:26). (2.) Another census was made
just before the entrance into Canaan, when the number was found to
be 601,730, showing thus a small decrease (Num. 26:51). (3.) The
next census was in the time of David, when the number, exclusive of
the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, was found to be 1,300,000 (2 Sam.
24:9; 1 Chr. 21:5). (4.) Solomon made a census of the foreigners in
the land, and found 153,600 able-bodied workmen (2 Chr. 2:17, 18).
(5.) After the return from Exile the whole congregation of Israel
was numbered, and found to amount to 42,360 (Ezra 2:64). A census
was made by the Roman government in the time of our Lord (Luke 2:1).
(See
TAXING.)
Centurion - a Roman
officer in command of a hundred men (Mark 15:39, 44, 45). Cornelius,
the first Gentile convert, was a centurion (Acts 10:1, 22). Other
centurions are mentioned in Matt. 8:5, 8, 13; Luke 7:2, 6; Acts
21:32; 22:25, 26; 23:17, 23; 24:23; 27:1, 6, 11, 31, 43; 28:16. A
centurion watched the crucifixion of our Lord (Matt. 27:54; Luke
23:47), and when he saw the wonders attending it, exclaimed, "Truly
this man was the Son of God." "The centurions mentioned in the New
Testament are uniformly spoken of in terms of praise, whether in the
Gospels or in the Acts. It is interesting to compare this with the
statement of Polybius (vi. 24), that the centurions were chosen by
merit, and so were men remarkable not so much for their daring
courage as for their deliberation, constancy, and strength of
mind.", Dr. Maclear's N. T. Hist.
Cephas - a
Syriac surname given by Christ to Simon (John 1:42), meaning "rock."
The Greeks translated it by Petros, and the Latins by Petrus.
Cesarea - See
CAESAREA.
Chaff - the refuse
of winnowed corn. It was usually burned (Ex. 15:7; Isa. 5:24; Matt.
3:12). This word sometimes, however, means dried grass or hay (Isa.
5:24; 33:11). Chaff is used as a figure of abortive wickedness (Ps.
1:4; Matt. 3:12). False doctrines are also called chaff (Jer.
23:28), or more correctly rendered "chopped straw." The destruction
of the wicked, and their powerlessness, are likened to the carrying
away of chaff by the wind (Isa. 17:13; Hos. 13:3; Zeph. 2:2).
Chain - (1.) A
part of the insignia of office. A chain of gold was placed about
Joseph's neck (Gen. 41:42); and one was promised to Daniel (5:7). It
is used as a symbol of sovereignty (Ezek. 16:11). The breast-plate
of the high-priest was fastened to the ephod by golden chains (Ex.
39:17, 21).
(2.) It was used as an ornament (Prov. 1:9;
Cant. 1:10). The Midianites adorned the necks of their camels with
chains (Judg. 8:21, 26).
(3.) Chains were also used as fetters
wherewith prisoners were bound (Judg. 16:21; 2 Sam. 3:34; 2 Kings
25:7; Jer. 39:7). Paul was in this manner bound to a Roman soldier
(Acts 28:20; Eph. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:16). Sometimes, for the sake of
greater security, the prisoner was attached by two chains to two
soldiers, as in the case of Peter (Acts 12:6).
Chalcedony -
Mentioned only in Rev. 21:19, as one of the precious stones in the
foundation of the New Jerusalem. The name of this stone is derived
from Chalcedon, where it is said to have been first discovered. In
modern mineralogy this is the name of an agate-like quartz of a
bluish colour. Pliny so names the Indian ruby. The mineral intended
in Revelation is probably the Hebrew nophekh, translated
"emerald" (Ex. 28:18; 39:11; Ezek. 27:16; 28:13). It is rendered
"anthrax" in the LXX., and "carbunculus" in the Vulgate. (See
CARBUNCLE.)
Chaldea - The
southern portion of Babylonia, Lower Mesopotamia, lying chiefly on
the right bank of the Euphrates, but commonly used of the whole of
the Mesopotamian plain. The Hebrew name is Kasdim, which is usually
rendered "Chaldeans" (Jer. 50:10; 51:24,35).
The country so named is a vast plain formed
by the deposits of the Euphrates and the Tigris, extending to about
400 miles along the course of these rivers, and about 100 miles in
average breadth. "In former days the vast plains of Babylon were
nourished by a complicated system of canals and water-courses, which
spread over the surface of the country like a network. The wants of
a teeming population were supplied by a rich soil, not less
bountiful than that on the banks of the Egyptian Nile. Like islands
rising from a golden sea of waving corn stood frequent groves of
palm-trees and pleasant gardens, affording to the idler or traveller
their grateful and highly-valued shade. Crowds of passengers hurried
along the dusty roads to and from the busy city. The land was rich
in corn and wine."
Recent discoveries, more especially in
Babylonia, have thrown much light on the history of the Hebrew
patriarchs, and have illustrated or confirmed the Biblical narrative
in many points. The ancestor of the Hebrew people, Abram, was, we
are told, born at "Ur of the Chaldees." "Chaldees" is a
mistranslation of the Hebrew Kasdim, Kasdim being the Old
Testament name of the Babylonians, while the Chaldees were a tribe
who lived on the shores of the Persian Gulf, and did not become a
part of the Babylonian population till the time of Hezekiah. Ur was
one of the oldest and most famous of the Babylonian cities. Its site
is now called Mugheir, or Mugayyar, on the western bank of the
Euphrates, in Southern Babylonia. About a century before the birth
of Abram it was ruled by a powerful dynasty of kings. Their
conquests extended to Elam on the one side, and to the Lebanon on
the other. They were followed by a dynasty of princes whose capital
was Babylon, and who seem to have been of South Arabian origin. The
founder of the dynasty was Sumu-abi ("Shem is my father"). But soon
afterwards Babylonia fell under Elamite dominion. The kings of
Babylon were compelled to acknowledge the supremacy of Elam, and a
rival kingdom to that of Babylon, and governed by Elamites, sprang
up at Larsa, not far from Ur, but on the opposite bank of the river.
In the time of Abram the king of Larsa was Eri-Aku, the son of an
Elamite prince, and Eri-Aku, as has long been recognized, is the
Biblical "Arioch king of Ellasar" (Gen. 14:1). The contemporaneous
king of Babylon in the north, in the country termed Shinar in
Scripture, was Khammu-rabi. (See BABYLON ¯T0000409; ABRAHAM
¯T0000054;
AMRAPHEL.)
Chaldee language -
employed by the sacred writers in certain portions of the Old
Testament, viz., Dan. 2:4-7, 28; Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Gen. 31:46;
Jer. 10:11. It is the Aramaic dialect, as it is sometimes called, as
distinguished from the Hebrew dialect. It was the language of
commerce and of social intercourse in Western Asia, and after the
Exile gradually came to be the popular language of Palestine. It is
called "Syrian" in 2 Kings 18:26. Some isolated words in this
language are preserved in the New Testament (Matt. 5:22; 6:24;
16:17; 27:46; Mark 3:17; 5:41; 7:34; 14:36; Acts 1:19; 1 Cor.
16:22). These are specimens of the vernacular language of Palestine
at that period. The term "Hebrew" was also sometimes applied to the
Chaldee because it had become the language of the Hebrews (John 5:2;
19:20).
Chaldees - or
Chaldeans, the inhabitants of the country of which Babylon was the
capital. They were so called till the time of the Captivity (2 Kings
25; Isa. 13:19; 23:13), when, particularly in the Book of Daniel
(5:30; 9:1), the name began to be used with special reference to a
class of learned men ranked with the magicians and astronomers.
These men cultivated the ancient Cushite language of the original
inhabitants of the land, for they had a "learning" and a "tongue"
(1:4) of their own. The common language of the country at that time
had become assimilated to the Semitic dialect, especially through
the influence of the Assyrians, and was the language that was used
for all civil purposes. The Chaldeans were the learned class,
interesting themselves in science and religion, which consisted,
like that of the ancient Arabians and Syrians, in the worship of the
heavenly bodies. There are representations of this priestly class,
of magi and diviners, on the walls of the Assyrian palaces.
Chamber - "on
the wall," which the Shunammite prepared for the prophet Elisha (2
Kings 4:10), was an upper chamber over the porch through the hall
toward the street. This was the "guest chamber" where entertainments
were prepared (Mark 14:14). There were also "chambers within
chambers" (1 Kings 22:25; 2 Kings 9:2). To enter into a chamber is
used metaphorically of prayer and communion with God (Isa. 26:20).
The "chambers of the south" (Job 9:9) are probably the constelations
of the southern hemisphere. The "chambers of imagery", i.e.,
chambers painted with images, as used by Ezekiel (8:12), is an
expression denoting the vision the prophet had of the abominations
practised by the Jews in Jerusalem.
Chambering -
(Rom. 13:13), wantonness, impurity.
Chamberlain - a
confidential servant of the king (Gen. 37:36; 39:1). In Rom. 16:23
mention is made of "Erastus the chamberlain." Here the word denotes
the treasurer of the city, or the quaestor, as the Romans styled
him. He is almost the only convert from the higher ranks of whom
mention is made (comp. Acts 17:34). Blastus, Herod's "chamberlain"
(Acts 12:20), was his personal attendant or valet-de-chambre. The
Hebrew word saris, thus translated in Esther 1:10, 15; 2:3,
14, 21, etc., properly means an eunuch (as in the marg.), as it is
rendered in Isa. 39:7; 56:3.
Chameleon - a
species of lizard which has the faculty of changing the colour of
its skin. It is ranked among the unclean animals in Lev. 11:30,
where the Hebrew word so translated is coah (R.V., "land
crocodile"). In the same verse the Hebrew tanshemeth,
rendered in Authorized Version "mole," is in Revised Version
"chameleon," which is the correct rendering. This animal is very
common in Egypt and in the Holy Land, especially in the Jordan
valley.
Chamois - only
in Deut. 14:5 (Heb. zemer), an animal of the deer or gazelle
species. It bears this Hebrew name from its leaping or springing.
The animal intended is probably the wild sheep (Ovis tragelephus),
which is still found in Sinai and in the broken ridges of Stony
Arabia. The LXX. and Vulgate render the word by camelopardus, i.e.,
the giraffe; but this is an animal of Central Africa, and is not at
all known in Syria.
Champion - (1
Sam. 17:4, 23), properly "the man between the two," denoting the
position of Goliath between the two camps. Single combats of this
kind at the head of armies were common in ancient times. In ver. 51
this word is the rendering of a different Hebrew word, and properly
denotes "a mighty man."
Chance - (Luke
10:31). "It was not by chance that the priest came down by that road
at that time, but by a specific arrangement and in exact fulfilment
of a plan; not the plan of the priest, nor the plan of the wounded
traveller, but the plan of God. By coincidence (Gr. sungkuria) the
priest came down, that is, by the conjunction of two things, in
fact, which were previously constituted a pair in the providence of
God. In the result they fell together according to the omniscient
Designer's plan. This is the true theory of the divine government."
Compare the meeting of Philip with the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26, 27).
There is no "chance" in God's empire. "Chance" is only another word
for our want of knowledge as to the way in which one event falls in
with another (1 Sam. 6:9; Eccl. 9:11).
Chancellor -
one who has judicial authority, literally, a "lord of judgement;" a
title given to the Persian governor of Samaria (Ezra 4:8, 9, 17).
Changes of raiment
- were reckoned among the treasures of rich men (Gen. 45:22;
Judg. 14:12, 13; 2 Kings 5:22, 23).
Channel - (1.)
The bed of the sea or of a river (Ps. 18:15; Isa. 8:7).
(2.) The "chanelbone" (Job 31:22 marg.),
properly "tube" or "shaft," an old term for the collar-bone.
Chapel - a holy
place or sanctuary, occurs only in Amos 7:13, where one of the idol
priests calls Bethel "the king's chapel."
Chapiter - the
ornamental head or capital of a pillar. Three Hebrew words are so
rendered. (1.) Cothereth (1 Kings 7:16; 2 Kings 25:17; 2 Chr.
4:12), meaning a "diadem" or "crown." (2.) Tzepheth (2 Chr.
3:15). (3.) Rosh (Ex. 36:38; 38:17, 19, 28), properly a
"head" or "top."
Chapter - The
several books of the Old and New Testaments were from an early time
divided into chapters. The Pentateuch was divided by the ancient
Hebrews into 54 parshioth or sections, one of which was read
in the synagogue every Sabbath day (Acts. 13:15). These sections
were afterwards divided into 669 sidrim or orders of unequal
length. The Prophets were divided in somewhat the same manner into
haphtaroth or passages.
In the early Latin and Greek versions of the
Bible, similar divisions of the several books were made. The New
Testament books were also divided into portions of various lengths
under different names, such as titles and heads or chapters.
In modern times this ancient example was
imitated, and many attempts of the kind were made before the
existing division into chapters was fixed. The Latin Bible published
by Cardinal Hugo of St. Cher in A.D. 1240 is generally regarded as
the first Bible that was divided into our present chapters, although
it appears that some of the chapters were fixed as early as A.D.
1059. This division into chapters came gradually to be adopted in
the published editions of the Hebrew, with some few variations, and
of the Greek Scriptures, and hence of other versions.
Charashim -
craftsmen, a valley named in 1 Chr. 4:14. In Neh. 11:35 the Hebrew
word is rendered "valley of craftsmen" (R.V. marg., Geha-rashim).
Nothing is known of it.
Charger - a
bowl or deep dish. The silver vessels given by the heads of the
tribes for the services of the tabernacle are so named (Num. 7:13,
etc.). The "charger" in which the Baptist's head was presented was a
platter or flat wooden trencher (Matt. 14:8, 11; Mark 6:25, 28). The
chargers of gold and silver of Ezra 1:9 were probably basins for
receiving the blood of sacrifices.
Chariot - a
vehicle generally used for warlike purposes. Sometimes, though but
rarely, it is spoken of as used for peaceful purposes.
The first mention of the chariot is when
Joseph, as a mark of distinction, was placed in Pharaoh's second
state chariot (Gen. 41:43); and the next, when he went out in his
own chariot to meet his father Jacob (46:29). Chariots formed part
of the funeral procession of Jacob (50:9). When Pharaoh pursued the
Israelites he took 600 war-chariots with him (Ex. 14:7). The
Canaanites in the valleys of Palestine had chariots of iron (Josh.
17:18; Judg. 1:19). Jabin, the king of Canaan, had 900 chariots (Judg.
4:3); and in Saul's time the Philistines had 30,000. In his wars
with the king of Zobah and with the Syrians, David took many
chariots among the spoils (2 Sam. 8:4; 10:18). Solomon maintained as
part of his army 1,400 chariots (1 Kings 10:26), which were chiefly
imported from Egypt (29). From this time forward they formed part of
the armies of Israel (1 Kings 22:34; 2 Kings 9:16, 21; 13:7, 14;
18:24; 23:30).
In the New Testament we have only one
historical reference to the use of chariots, in the case of the
Ethiopian eunuch (Acts. 8:28, 29, 38).
This word is sometimes used figuratively for
hosts (Ps. 68:17; 2 Kings 6:17). Elijah, by his prayers and his
counsel, was "the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." The
rapid agency of God in the phenomena of nature is also spoken of
under the similitude of a chariot (Ps. 104:3; Isa. 66:15; Hab. 3:8).
Chariot of the cherubim (1 Chr. 28:18), the
chariot formed by the two cherubs on the mercy-seat on which the
Lord rides.
Chariot cities were set apart for storing the
war-chariots in time of peace (2 Chr. 1:14).
Chariot horses were such as were peculiarly
fitted for service in chariots (2 Kings 7:14).
Chariots of war are described in Ex. 14:7; 1
Sam. 13:5; 2 Sam. 8:4; 1 Chr. 18:4; Josh. 11:4; Judg. 4:3, 13. They
were not used by the Israelites till the time of David. Elijah was
translated in a "chariot of fire" (2 Kings 2:11). Comp. 2 Kings
6:17. This vision would be to Elisha a source of strength and
encouragement, for now he could say, "They that be with us are more
than they that be with them."
Charity - (1
Cor. 13), the rendering in the Authorized Version of the word which
properly denotes love, and is frequently so rendered (always so in
the Revised Version). It is spoken of as the greatest of the three
Christian graces (1 Cor. 12:31-13:13).
Charmer - one
who practises serpent-charming (Ps. 58:5; Jer. 8:17; Eccl. 10:11).
It was an early and universal opinion that the most venomous
reptiles could be made harmless by certain charms or by sweet
sounds. It is well known that there are jugglers in India and in
other Eastern lands who practise this art at the present day.
In Isa. 19:3 the word "charmers" is the
rendering of the Hebrew 'ittim, meaning, properly,
necromancers (R.V. marg., "whisperers"). In Deut. 18:11 the word
"charmer" means a dealer in spells, especially one who, by binding
certain knots, was supposed thereby to bind a curse or a blessing on
its object. In Isa. 3:3 the words "eloquent orator" should be, as in
the Revised Version, "skilful enchanter."
Charran -
another form (Acts 7:2, 4) of Haran (q.v.).
Chebar -
length, a river in the "land of the Chaldeans" (Ezek. 1:3), on the
banks of which were located some of the Jews of the Captivity (Ezek.
1:1; 3:15, 23; 10:15, 20, 22). It has been supposed to be identical
with the river Habor, the Chaboras, or modern Khabour, which falls
into the Euphrates at Circesium. To the banks of this river some of
the Israelites were removed by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:6). An
opinion that has much to support it is that the "Chebar" was the
royal canal of Nebuchadnezzar, the Nahr Malcha, the greatest in
Mesopotamia, which connected the Tigris with the Euphrates, in the
excavation of which the Jewish captives were probably employed.
Chedorlaomer -
(= Khudur-Lagamar of the inscriptions), king of Elam. Many centuries
before the age of Abraham, Canaan and even the Sinaitic peninsula
had been conquered by Babylonian kings, and in the time of Abraham
himself Babylonia was ruled by a dynasty which claimed sovereignity
over Syria and Palestine. The kings of the dynasty bore names which
were not Babylonian, but at once South Arabic and Hebrew. The most
famous king of the dynasty was Khammu-rabi, who united Babylonia
under one rule, and made Babylon its capital. When he ascended the
throne, the country was under the suzerainty of the Elamites, and
was divided into two kingdoms, that of Babylon (the Biblical Shinar)
and that of Larsa (the Biblical Ellasar). The king of Larsa was
Eri-Aku ("the servant of the moon-god"), the son of an Elamite
prince, Kudur-Mabug, who is entitled "the father of the land of the
Amorites." A recently discovered tablet enumerates among the enemies
of Khammu-rabi, Kudur-Lagamar ("the servant of the goddess Lagamar")
or Chedorlaomer, Eri-Aku or Arioch, and Tudkhula or Tidal.
Khammu-rabi, whose name is also read Ammi-rapaltu or Amraphel by
some scholars, succeeded in overcoming Eri-Aku and driving the
Elamites out of Babylonia. Assur-bani-pal, the last of the Assyrian
conquerors, mentions in two inscriptions that he took Susa 1635
years after Kedor-nakhunta, king of Elam, had conquered Babylonia.
It was in the year B.C. 660 that Assur-bani-pal took Susa.
Cheek - Smiting
on the cheek was accounted a grievous injury and insult (Job 16:10;
Lam. 3:30; Micah 5:1). The admonition (Luke 6:29), "Unto him that
smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other," means simply,
"Resist not evil" (Matt. 5:39; 1 Pet. 2:19-23). Ps. 3:7 = that God
had deprived his enemies of the power of doing him injury.
Cheese - (A.S.
cese). This word occurs three times in the Authorized Version as the
translation of three different Hebrew words: (1.) 1 Sam. 17:18, "ten
cheeses;" i.e., ten sections of curd. (2.) 2 Sam. 17:29, "cheese of
kine" = perhaps curdled milk of kine. The Vulgate version reads "fat
calves." (3.) Job 10:10, curdled milk is meant by the word.
Chemarim -
black, (Zeph. 1:4; rendered "idolatrous priests" in 2 Kings 23:5,
and "priests" in Hos. 10:5). Some derive this word from the Assyrian
Kamaru, meaning "to throw down," and interpret it as describing the
idolatrous priests who prostrate themselves before the idols. Others
regard it as meaning "those who go about in black," or "ascetics."
Chemosh - the
destroyer, subduer, or fish-god, the god of the Moabites (Num.
21:29; Jer. 48:7, 13, 46). The worship of this god, "the abomination
of Moab," was introduced at Jerusalem by Solomon (1 Kings 11:7), but
was abolished by Josiah (2 Kings 23:13). On the "Moabite Stone"
(q.v.), Mesha (2 Kings 3:5) ascribes his victories over the king of
Israel to this god, "And Chemosh drove him before my sight."
Chenaanah -
merchant. (1.) A Benjamite (1 Chr. 7:10). (2.) The father of
Zedekiah (1 Kings 22:11, 24).
Chenaiah - whom
Jehovah hath made. "Chief of the Levites," probably a Kohathite (1
Chr. 15:22), and therefore not the same as mentioned in 26:29.
Chephirah -
village, one of the four cities of the Gibeonitish Hivites with whom
Joshua made a league (9:17). It belonged to Benjamin. It has been
identified with the modern Kefireh, on the west confines of
Benjamin, about 2 miles west of Ajalon and 11 from Jerusalem.
Cherethim -
(Ezek. 25:16), more frequently Cherethites, the inhabitants of
Southern Philistia, the Philistines (Zeph. 2:5). The Cherethites and
the Pelethites were David's life-guards (1 Sam. 30:14; 2 Sam. 8:18;
20:7, 23; 23:23). This name is by some interpreted as meaning
"Cretans," and by others "executioners," who were ready to execute
the king's sentence of death (Gen. 37:36, marg.; 1 Kings 2:25).
Cherith - a
cutting; separation; a gorge, a torrent-bed or winter-stream, a
"brook," in whose banks the prophet Elijah hid himself during the
early part of the three years' drought (1 Kings 17:3, 5). It has by
some been identified as the Wady el-Kelt behind Jericho, which is
formed by the junction of many streams flowing from the mountains
west of Jericho. It is dry in summer. Travellers have described it
as one of the wildest ravines of this wild region, and peculiarly
fitted to afford a secure asylum to the persecuted. But if the
prophet's interview with Ahab was in Samaria, and he thence
journeyed toward the east, it is probable that he crossed Jordan and
found refuge in some of the ravines of Gilead. The "brook" is said
to have been "before Jordan," which probably means that it opened
toward that river, into which it flowed. This description would
apply to the east as well as to the west of Jordan. Thus Elijah's
hiding-place may have been the Jermuk, in the territory of the
half-tribe of Manasseh.
Cherub - plural
cherubim, the name of certain symbolical figures frequently
mentioned in Scripture. They are first mentioned in connection with
the expulsion of our first parents from Eden (Gen. 3:24). There is
no intimation given of their shape or form. They are next mentioned
when Moses was commanded to provide furniture for the tabernacle
(Ex. 25:17-20; 26:1, 31). God promised to commune with Moses "from
between the cherubim" (25:22). This expression was afterwards used
to denote the Divine abode and presence (Num. 7:89; 1 Sam. 4:4; Isa.
37:16; Ps. 80:1; 99:1). In Ezekiel's vision (10:1-20) they appear as
living creatures supporting the throne of God. From Ezekiel's
description of them (1;10; 41:18, 19), they appear to have been
compound figures, unlike any real object in nature; artificial
images possessing the features and properties of several animals.
Two cherubim were placed on the mercy-seat of the ark; two of
colossal size overshadowed it in Solomon's temple. Ezekiel (1:4-14)
speaks of four; and this number of "living creatures" is mentioned
in Rev. 4:6. Those on the ark are called the "cherubim of glory"
(Heb. 9:5), i.e., of the Shechinah, or cloud of glory, for on them
the visible glory of God rested. They were placed one at each end of
the mercy-seat, with wings stretched upward, and their faces "toward
each other and toward the mercy-seat." They were anointed with holy
oil, like the ark itself and the other sacred furniture.
The cherubim were symbolical. They were
intended to represent spiritual existences in immediate contact with
Jehovah. Some have regarded them as symbolical of the chief ruling
power by which God carries on his operations in providence (Ps.
18:10). Others interpret them as having reference to the redemption
of men, and as symbolizing the great rulers or ministers of the
church. Many other opinions have been held regarding them which need
not be referred to here. On the whole, it seems to be most
satisfactory to regard the interpretation of the symbol to be
variable, as is the symbol itself.
Their office was, (1) on the expulsion of our
first parents from Eden, to prevent all access to the tree of life;
and (2) to form the throne and chariot of Jehovah in his
manifestation of himself on earth. He dwelleth between and sitteth
on the cherubim (1 Sam. 4:4; Ps. 80:1; Ezek. 1:26, 28).
Chesalon -
strength; confidence, a place on the border of Judah, on the side of
Mount Jearim (Josh. 15:10); probably identified with the modern
village of Kesla, on the western mountains of Judah.
Chesed - gain,
the son of Nahor (Gen. 22:22).
Chesil -
ungodly, a town in the south of Judah (Josh. 15:30); probably the
same as Bethul (19:4) and Bethuel (1 Chr. 4:30); now Khelasa.
Chest - (Heb.
'aron, generally rendered "ark"), the coffer into which the
contributions for the repair of the temple were put (2 Kings 12:9,
10; 2 Chr. 24:8, 10, 11). In Gen. 50:26 it is rendered "coffin." In
Ezek. 27:24 a different Hebrew word, genazim (plur.), is
used. It there means "treasure-chests."
Chestnut tree -
(Heb. 'armon; i.e., "naked"), mentioned in connection with
Jacob's artifice regarding the cattle (Gen. 30:37). It is one of the
trees of which, because of its strength and beauty, the Assyrian
empire is likened (Ezek. 31:8; R.V., "plane trees"). It is probably
the Oriental plane tree (Platanus orientalis) that is intended. It
is a characteristic of this tree that it annually sheds its outer
bark, becomes "naked." The chestnut tree proper is not a native of
Palestine.
Chesulloth -
fertile places; the loins, a town of Issachar, on the slopes of some
mountain between Jezreel and Shunem (Josh. 19:18). It has been
identified with Chisloth-tabor, 2 1/2 miles to the west of Mount
Tabor, and north of Jezreel; now Iksal.
Chezib -
deceitful, a town where Shelah, the son of Judah, was born (Gen.
38:5). Probably the same as Achzib (q.v.).
Chidon - dart,
the name of the threshing-floor at which the death of Uzzah took
place (1 Chr. 13:9). In the parallel passage in Samuel (2 Sam. 6:6)
it is called "Nachon's threshing-floor." It was a place not far
north-west from Jerusalem.
Return
To Dictionary
|